ALUMNI AND STUDENTS 'GET BUZZED' FOR GOOD CAUSE
Wahl Clipper challenged Kappa Sigma alumni and students in NYC to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in head-shaving fashion
What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year than to “Get Buzzed”? That’s what students from Pratt and Brooklyn College and Kappa Sigma Fraternity alumni had in mind when Wahl Clipper challenged them to shave their heads to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the world’s largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. The event, which took place Saturday, March 14 at Brooklyn’s 200 Fifth Restaurant & Sports Bar, raised more than $25,000.
Since getting buzzed is already top of mind this time of year, Wahl and company thought that giving new meaning to the phrase could do the world some good. Many agreed, including the 50-plus students, alumni and passersby who participated in the head shaving event.
The GET BUZZED event was led by Kappa Sigma’s team captain Danny Ryan, who shaved his head for the ninth consecutive year and helped bring total funds raised since organizing his first head-shaving event to a staggering $150,000. For Ryan, the annual head shaving is a reminder of why he and his two college friends first encouraged their fraternity to join the cause.
"We’re excited to raise money for childhood cancer again this year,” said Ryan. “A shaved head is so visual that it becomes a conversation starter for people to ask questions and learn more about childhood cancer.”
Two local St. Baldrick’s Foundation honored families participated in the festivities. The honored kids picked up clippers and assisted as the more than 150 community members and volunteers in attendance cheered them on.
“GET BUZZED is more than just a campaign to raise money for a good cause, it’s a powerful message to inspire a new generation to get involved in something they can believe in,” said Steven Yde, Wahl’s director of marketing. “Putting clippers in the right hands can be a powerful thing and we’re thrilled to have partnered with Kappa Sigma once again to support the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and their fight against childhood cancer.”
The GET BUZZED campaign launched last October with a head-shaving event in Washington D.C. Heather Kash, senior director of corporate relations for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, reiterated how important campaigns like this are.
“A child is diagnosed with cancer every three minutes. Unfortunately, all types of childhood cancers combined only receive 4 percent of U.S. federal funding for research. That’s what makes efforts such as GET BUZZED so worthwhile,” Kash said.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation first began 15 years ago this St. Patrick’s Day in New York City. What started as a simple head-shaving challenge from one businessman and friend to another quickly became a generous fundraising effort, as supporters lined up to sponsor them. Today, St. Baldrick’s Foundation has raised more than $152 million for lifesaving research. This year alone, more than 57,000 volunteers have gone under the clippers at more than 1,300 St. Baldrick’s events nationwide.
GET BUZZED supports “Cuts for a Cause,” a program from Wahl Clipper to help raise funds for non-profit organizations through charitable head-shaving, haircutting and facial hair trimming events. In just its first year, Cuts for a Cause has helped non-profit organizations such as St. Baldrick’s raise nearly $1 million through product donations and contributions.
To GET BUZZED with Wahl Clipper and Kappa Sigma, or for more information on how to donate, find a participating school or learn more about St. Baldrick’s Foundation, visit www.getbuzzedforgood.com.
Photo credit: Robbie Lee
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For more information:
Meghan Bitenc
office: (414) 225-9539
cell: (917) 991-6086
mbitenc@hyc.com
Patrick Kopischkie
(414) 225-9522
pkopischkie@hyc.com
About Wahl Clipper
Since 1919, Wahl Clipper Corporation has been the leader in the professional and home grooming category. Today, Wahl manufactures a variety of facial hair trimmers and clippers, including the first-ever line to harness the power of lithium ion. For more information, visit www.wahlgrooming.com.
About Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma Fraternity is one of the largest college fraternities with 17,500 members on 314 college campus throughout the United States and Canada and more than 200,000 living alumni around the world. Annually, Kappa Sigma undergraduates donate more than $3 million and one million hours to charitable causes. For more information, visit www.kappasigma.org
About St. Baldrick’s Foundation
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $152 million to support lifesaving research, making the Foundation the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. For more information, call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.
